The impact Grand Theft Auto III for the PlayStation 2 made on the game industry was overwhelming to the point that the “sandbox” gameplay influenced other games on several other consoles including the next-generation of consoles. The series itself evolved with Vice City and the controversial gaming masterpiece that is San Andreas but the series most impressive addition came in the form of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the Sony PSP. Liberty City Stories not only brought many of the things we love about the series but it was also an entertaining story true to the crime stories of past GTA games. Therefore, for those who might have missed it the first time or do not own Sony’s portable gaming machine, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is a return to one of our favorite cities.

I should add that the PS2 version of Liberty City Stories is exactly like the PSP version with the exception that the portable’s multiplayer games are excluded in this console version. Even the portable’s graphics are the same. The mission structure is a lot like the console games and the story, while lacking the charming touch of the last three games is a good one. Getting off a bus after having to skip town for performing a hit on a made man for the Leone family, Toni Cipriani returns to Liberty City and finds himself being used by the family he swore his loyalty to and ultimately he feels rejected by them. To make matters worse, the organized crime families that include the Sindacco and Forelli are in a mob war that has each side trying to take control of Liberty City’s three major areas of Portland, Shoreside Vale and Staunton Island. Toni quickly becomes involved in the turf war as he sets off on missions for various colorful characters.

Toni starts by working under Vincenzo Cilli, just one of many captains working for Don Salvatore and quickly you will meet a cast of other characters that offer you a variety of interesting jobs. You will be running errands for the local strip club owner in Portland or saving returning damsel-in-distress Maria from herself. You can even hop in a cab and activate a cab mission as well as the usual assortment of side missions like vigilante as well as deliver pizza. The side missions are plentiful and there’s plenty to see and do in Liberty City, which is part of the reason the game was so impressive in its handheld form.

Like most Grand Theft Auto games, the three major areas of the city are not available from the start. You will have to complete a number of the missions for the next area to open and that is done by completing the game’s main missions. You are, of course, free to stop what you are doing to go on various crime sprees and you can carjack any vehicle you like including various cars and even motorcycles (motorcycles were introduced in Vice City so this is the first time you’ll find them in Liberty City). You can buy weapons at the local Ammu-Nation or even sell cars in the car dealership in Portland.

The missions you’ll take on in this game vary. They range from the easy fetch missions down to assassinations and destructive missions. In one mission, you will protect one of Don Salvatore’s buildings from a rival family’s thugs to helping the Don’s mistress, Maria (who seems to fall in love with all of Don Salvatore’s henchmen) from ending up as a prize in a street race. The best part is that Liberty City Stories is filled with a number of enjoyable missions that outnumber the more dull ones.

The game’s controls feel a lot better on the PS2 than on the PSP for the most obvious reason that the second analog stick just makes moving the camera even more easier. Unfortunately, the same bad targeting system from the PSP version can be found in this version as well. Instead of targeting an armed thug who is standing close to you the targeting reticule tends to occasionally target distant pedestrians. This makes for some annoying gunfights. Other than that, the controls work well enough whether you’re running through the streets or driving down a road.

While the PS2 version managed to include mostly every aspect of the portable version, it also managed to recreate the PSP version’s graphics as well. On the PSP’s widescreen, the game looks amazing and it was an impressive feat to display all of Liberty City in all its glory. Yet on the PS2 the graphics not only look dated but the textures look flat and the characters look bulky. It was unfortunate that Rockstar could not clean up the graphics enough that they look more like those in Vice City. Still, all of Liberty City is here and the city still looks like its breathing with life.

The game’s sound, on the other hand, is one of the game’s biggest highlights. We are again treated to the same radio format similar to that of GTA III so don’t expect any licensed tunes. That, though, does not mean the songs playing on the radio aren’t good. You’ll have everything from hip-hop to Indian music and even boy bands and talk radio. The voice acting is top notch, although the dialogue doesn’t have the same witty repartee found in the console games. Even the sound effects aren’t as detailed.

Despite the loss of its multiplayer mode and the not-so-pleasing visuals, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PS2 is still a satisfying and appealing game GTA fans will certainly enjoy. With a $20 purchase price and a story filled to the brim with addictive main and side mission, this is a perfect addition for anyone who has missed the PSP version.

Gameplay: 8.0
Liberty City Stories plays like GTA III and Vice City rolled into one game without the innovative twists of San Andreas. Still, the story is true to the series and there is a lot to see and do in Liberty City. The three main areas are still fun to explore and the various vehicles and weapons keep the game wonderfully addictive. The second analog stick helps things considerably.

Graphics: 6.5
What looked good on the PSP does not translate as well on the PS2 so expect a game low in detail and backgrounds that look rather plain. The character models look bad and the pedestrians tend to disappear completely at times. Still, fans of GTA III will instantly recognize the many locales.

Sound: 8.0
The radio stations are still a delight to listen to despite the fact that there are no licensed artists among the musical roster. Still, if you love world music, classical or fake boy bands this one certainly doesn’t fail to bring a good assortment of tunes. As for the dialogue, it does lack the charm of the other three games but it’s still good.

Difficulty: Medium
The missions range from simple to missions that require you to complete multiple objectives. The harder missions are the ones that are timed and require you to move from one side of the city to the other. Occasionally the game’s targeting reticule can be a bit buggy and can often lead to you aiming your gun at an unarmed pedestrian rather than the armed thug who is a lot closer.

Concept: 8.0
Liberty City is certainly a good city for rampages, carjacking action and mafia hits and Liberty City Stories certainly delivers on that front. Toni might not be as interesting as San Andreas’ Carl Johnson but watching him rise from under-appreciated mobster to a known made man is still entertaining. The missions are plentiful but unlike the PSP version there is no multiplayer mode.

Overall: 8.2
At the bargain price, Liberty City Stories for the PS2 is a chapter in the GTA series that is well worth playing through if but for the great story and addictive missions. The loss of the PSP version’s fun multiplayer mode is a sad loss and the graphics might be an eyesore but there is no denying the fact that returning to Liberty City for another crime spree is a trip well worth taking.